I've been going off a bit as the Louisiana State Police Troop Nola has raced through New Orleans neighborhoods in hot pursuit of people driving suspicious vehicles, only to crash at a rate that shows why the federal consent decree that governs city cops prohibits them from engaging in such reckless, high-speed chases.
Troop Nola is not bound by the federal decree, and the optics of troopers barreling through our streets — and crashing — four days in a row make it appear they were auditioning for a segment on the Law and Crime Network or the Car Chase Channel.
As Troop Nola members familiarize themselves with the challenges of law enforcement in New Orleans, they're not the only ones engaging in dangerous — or even deadly — behavior.
The troopers' crashes have bothered me, but other recent events have sickened me to my core: Grown-ups killing children. Grown-ups molesting children. Grown-ups trafficking children.
I find it hard to put my disgust into words.
Just last week, Victoria Cox, 32, and Daniel Callihan, 36, were arrested in connection with the abduction and killing of 3-year-old Erin Brunett. Cox was booked with capital murder and sexual assault. Callihan's alleged crimes got him booked with first-degree murder, sexual battery and kidnapping charges.
Erin's mother, Callie Brunett, 35, was found dead inside her Loranger home.
“There were multiple stab wounds to head, neck, chest, abdomen and back, and what appeared to be defensive wounds to arms,” Tangipahoa Parish Coroner Rick Foster said Monday.
Jalie Brunett, Erin's 6-year-old sister, was found alive in a car several yards away, behind a house where officers found animal cages.
“Based on the crime scene, what it looks like, this may be the place where there has been some human trafficking done,” Chief Wade told WVUE-TV. “We see cages, small animal cages. This is very, very disturbing to me as a police chief, and as a father, to witness and see what I saw.”
I don't need to see what Wade saw. If I try to imagine, I'm sickened at the idea of what those children endured.
This horrible case is another in a series of crimes resulting in the deaths of young children.
Last month, a Baton Rouge mother was arrested for shaking her 5-month-old baby so violently that the child died in the hospital. Earlier this month, a Houma woman was arrested in connection with the death of a 6-week-old infant who died of a fentanyl overdose.
The death of any child deeply disturbs anyone who cares about kids. But these deaths are particularly shocking.
Who are these grown-ups who seem to have let their demons take control of their actions? Who would allow some trigger to enrage them so much that they lash out with deadly force at helpless children, particularly their own, to feed some anger that has consumed them?
Thing is, someone usually knows who they are.
In the Erin Brunett case, Daniel Callihan's sister told reporters that she and her sister know who he is and who he has been. She said he hasn't changed. She called him a master manipulator and claimed he had molested and killed before.
She said she warned law enforcement about him — but nothing was done.
He, Cox or someone they know likely killed 4-year-old Erin.
If ever there were a case where "If you see something, say something" applies, it's a case like this.
If ever there were a reason why some people feel it won't matter if they say something because nothing will be done, it's a case like this.
If we want a better world, we cannot — we must not — refuse to speak up. When we see someone not taking medicine that we know helps balance their moods and life, encourage them to take something proven to help them. When we see someone doing bad things, saying bad things or even talking about how to avoid being caught, please say something.
We've lost young Erin. We don't want to lose more children.
It's bad enough that high-speed chases may lead to accidents that injure or kill innocent people as over-zealous troopers pursue suspected criminals.
But there's no excuse for law enforcement not responding zealously to calls for help from folks who see someone they know and maybe even love deliberately harming — or worse, killing — innocent children.
